NAFEMS Focus on Composites

GLASGOW, UK, JANUARY 12TH 2010:
In response to a recent upsurge of interest in composites analysis, NAFEMS, the International Association for the Engineering Analysis Community, has put together a series of events focusing on the subject, to give NAFEMS Members and the analysis community in general the opportunity to learn more about this topic, and share experiences with fellow analysts.

Many designs now use composite structures or components, taking advantage of the increased structural strength and stiffness to weight ratios, simpler manufacturing process, or more innovative design capability that composites bring. The nature of the composite used can range from cheap and freely available glass fiber reinforced systems to exotic and specifically tailored carbon or kevlar systems, with many forms of manufacturing process available. The challenge for the designer and analyst is to determine the resulting stiffness and strength of the design. Faced with the complexity of real world structural systems the analyst has to make decisions on the type of idealization and level of detail required in the FEA analysis.

NAFEMS members can attend seminars for free* as part of their NAFEMS membership, and enjoy a significant discount on the cost of our e-learning courses.

This two-day seminar is intended as a forum for experts in the area of prediction and modelling of complicated composite structures by using FEA. The event is accompanied by an exhibition of engineering software, computer systems, and related consultancy services. A comprehensive review of the current state-of-the-art and trends as well as of future challenges will thus be accessible to participants.

This seminar brings together industrial practitioners with experience of modelling laminated composites using the commonly available analysis tools. Case studies will be presented which illustrate the application of various analysis techniques for laminated composites. These presentations will highlight the key decisions to be made in selecting the appropriate modelling methods, and will address the compromises and assumptions required in order to carry out efficient and effective analyses.

This course is aimed at practicing engineers who wish to learn more about how to apply finite element techniques to composite analysis in the most effective manner. Ideally a student should have some experience of FEA analysis, but this is not essential. The material that is presented is independent of any particular software package, making it ideally suited to current and potential users of all commercial finite element software systems. This course is a must for all engineers aiming to use FEA as a reliable predictive tool for composite analysis.